Automatic switch-lock for railways



(No! Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 1.

w. A. SLOOUM.

' AUTOMATIC SWITCH LOOK FOR RAILWAYS.

Patented May 3,1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheet sSheet 2. 4

' W. A. SLOGUM.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH LOOK FOR RAILWAYS. No. 603,385.

Patented May 3,1898.

ml: Mums PETERS 0a., PmTmJmn wAsnmcYoN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Futon;

VVILLIAM.A. SLOGUM, .OF'LANSI'NG, MICHIGAN.

AUTQMATIC SWITCH-LOCK FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,385, dated May 3,1898.

' Application filed July 29, 1896. Renewed September 29, 1897. SerialNo. 653,518- (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SLocUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigamhaveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Locksfor Railways; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in automatic switch-locks forrailways; and the object is to provide the main line with asiding-switch which maybe operated by hand to switch a train from themain line and which if carelessly left in line with the siding will beautomatically set for the main line on the approach of a train in eitherdirection on said main line.

To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the same,as will be hereinafter more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same figures of reference indicate thesame parts of my invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my automatic switch-lock as it appears inuse with the main line clear. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing theswitch set for the siding. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line ofthe switch-bar, and Fig. 4: is a detail top plan of one-half of theswitch-stand with the top removed.

1 represents the main line, and 2 the siding.

3 is the switch-bar, passing transversely under the rails, the movableends of the switchrails l .5 being secured thereto, so that as theswitch-bar 3 is moved endwise therails 4 may be placedin line with themain rails 1 1- or the side rails 2' 2. V

Oneend of the switch-bar'3 is pivoted to one arm of a bell-crank lever6, the other right-angular arm of which is pivoted to one end of aconnecting-rod 7, the opposite end of which .is pivoted to a crank 8,rigidly secured toa transverse shaft 9, journaled below the rails of themain'track. This shaft 9 is provided with a rigid lever 10, extendingparallel between the rails of the main track and contiguous to one ofthem, so that the spring.

flange of the wheel in passing will strike this lever, press it down,and throw the switch, as will be hereinafter explained.

The inner end of the switch-bar 3 is screwthreaded and is provided witha nut 12, and a stout spiral spring 13 encompasses this end of theswitch-bar, one end of the spring bearing'against the nut 12 and theother end resting against the closed head 14 of the sleeve or tube 15,which forms a casing for said To the opposite closed head 16 of saidtube is secured a rod 17, the end of which is formed with an eye--18,through which a bolt 19 passes to connect it to the outer end of a crank19, rigidly secured to the lower end of the vertical switch-shaft 20,journaled in the switch-stand 21.

The switch-shaft 20 is provided with a switch-lever 22,by means of whichthe switchrails 4 5 maybe set by hand in line with the main track or thesiding.

23 is an arm rigidly secured to the switch bar 3 and extending parallelwith, a short distance above, and a little to one side of saidswitch-bar, and its free end projects into the casing of theswitch-stand.

241- is a trigger pivoted to the arm 23 by the bolt or rivet25, and itsfree end is formed with a claw 26, which engages the beveled head 27' ofthe bolt 28, sliding in the casing.

29 is a stationary spring secured at one end in the casing, its free endpressing against the trigger to force it inwardly toward the arm 23. f

When the claw 26 is in engagement with the head 27 0f the bolt 28 andthe arm 23 moved in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 2, theclaw will draw the loolt 28 backward until the lu'g 30 on the triggerridesover the stationary lug 3l'0n the outside of the guide 32. i Thetrigger is then pressed out from the it is released by a removable key35 or by the approach of a train. \Vhen the key 35 is used, the bolt iswithdrawn and the switchlever is released.

Vhen the switch-rails are in line with the sliding rails, the lever 10projects upwardly in the path of the wheels of an approaching train.IVhen the wheel strikes the said lever, it presses it down parallel withthe rail in a horizontalposition. Thismovement operates theconnecting-rod 7 and bell-crank 6 to move the switchbar 3 laterally tomove the switchrails in line with the main rails. At the same time theswitch-bar compresses the spring 13, while the arm 23 draws the bolt 28back and releases the stud 31L. The spring 13 then throws theswitcl1lever 22 over to the other side, where the stud 34 strikes thecurved arm 33 of a spring-bolt 28 in the lock 36, located at this point.\Vhen the bolt 28 has released the switch-lever, the further movement ofthe arm causes the lug on the trigger 24c to ride over the stationarylug 31 in the casing and presses the trigger outwardly to release itsclaw 26 from the head 27 of the bolt, which is then restored to itsformer position by the spring 32". After the switch-lever 22 has passedthe bolt 28 the spring 32 restores the bolt to its normal position andlocks the switch at that point, so that it can only be released by meansof the detachable key 35'.

Vhen it is necessary to throw the switch in line with the siding, thekey 35' is inserted in the lock 36 to withdraw the bolt 28. Theswitch-lever is then thrown to the other side, where it is locked by thebolt 28, and, as above stated, when the switch is in this position thelever 10 projects upwardly in the path of the wheels of a train, andshould a train approach its wheels would strike the lever 10 andautomatically move the switch-rails in line with the main rails.

The upper end of the switch-shaft 20 is provided with the usual coloredswitch-signal and the transverse switch-shaft 9 may be 1ocated at anysuitable distance from the switch itself, and it may be located oneither side of the switch. In some instances where the main line is asingle track and trains pass in both directions over it I prefer to haveone placed on each side of the switch, so that a train approaching fromeither direction will automatically move the switch should it becarelessly left set to the siding.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relativearrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire tobe confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made asclearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States,

1. The switch bar 3 provided with the spring 13, the tube 15, and therod 17 connected to the crank 19 secured to the switchshaft 20 mountedin the switch-stand 21, and provided with a switch-lever 22 having astud 34, in combination with the spring-bolts 28 28, having integralcurved arms 33, 33, substantially as shown and described.

2. An automatic railway-switch com prising the switch-bar 3, the spring13 mounted on one end of said bar; a tube incasing said spring andconnected to the crank 15) on the shaft 20, having a lever 22 providedwith a stud 3%, the spring-bolt28 having the curved arm 33, the beveledhead 27, the arm 23 rigidly secured to the switch-bar 3 and providedwith the pivoted trigger 24C and lug 30, adapted to travel over the pathof the stationary lug 31, in combination with the bell-crank lever 6,one arm of which is secured to the switchbar and the other arm pivotedto one end of a connecting-rod 7, the transverse shaft 0, provided withthe lever 10, arranged contiguous to one of the rails of the main track,and having a crank 8, the outer end of which is pivoted to the oppositeend of said rod 7, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

XVILLIAM A. SLOCUM.

\Vitnesses:

F. F. BALDWIN, J. E. SHATZEL.

